File No. 18942/33.
Minister Heimké to the Secretary of State.
Guatemala, September 21, 1909.
Sir: Referring to instruction No. 95 of the 6th ultimo (file No. 18942/28–32), relative to the matter of the removal of Col. García from the office of jefe político and comandante de armas at Livingston, and referring also to my No. 222 of the 7th ultimo, in which I reported that the removal of García had been effected without friction and that I would continue to give my attention to the arrest and punishment of the murderers of William Wright, the department saying in its above-named instruction that in case the new prefect should not take steps at once to secure the apprehension and punishment of the parties responsible for the death of Wright, I should again bring the matter to the attention of the proper Guatemalan authorities, and that I shall insist that appropriate action be taken looking toward the arrest and adequate punishment of the murderers, I have the honor to report that Mr. Aguirre, the minister for foreign affairs, informed me to-day, in a discussion of this matter with him, that Fonnegra, the principal aggressor in the murderous assault upon William Wright, has just been arrested and imprisoned in the penitentiary at this capital, where he will be kept in close confinement until the time of his trial for his participation in the crime with which he is charged, of which arrest the minister for foreign affairs will formally notify this legation as soon as the ministry of justice has officially advised the ministry of foreign affairs. Mr. Aguirre [Page 358] added that the new jefe político at Livingston had long since received instructions to use all diligence in causing the arrest of every man connected with the murder of Wright, and he pointed to the arrest of Fonnegra as an evidence of the intention of the Government to bring the murderers of Wright to punishment; and now, as the alleged principal in this crime has been apprehended, Mr. Aguirre thought the arrest of the others guilty of participation in that crime would soon follow.
I have, etc.,